The invention concerns a chemotherapeutic agent for inhibiting xanthine oxidase in warm-blooded animals, e.g., humans, and a novel process for therapeutic treatment of uratic diathesis in such animals.
The general term "uratic diathesis" is meant to encompass all different forms of hyperuricaemia, i.e. gout, as caused by disturbances of the purine metabolism.
Irrespective of impressive progress in the field of pharmacotherapy in treating a wide variety of diseases in humans, the chances of treating gout successfully still are extremely low. In spite of a strict diet and a restricted mode of life of the patient in most instances the pathological changes and deformations caused by said disease cannot be stopped. For a pharmacotherapeutic treatment of uratic diathesis a remarkably restricted number of active substances is available. From the chemical point of view the small number of available active substances have no features of their molecular structure in common. For instance, these active substances for treating uratic diathesis include such diverse compounds as benzbromarone (INN), probenecide (INN) and sulfinpyrazone (INN). All of these substances promote the secretion of uric acid by inhibiting the back-resorption of uric acid in the kidney. Thus, these active substances do not and cannot prevent an increased formation of uric acid. Accordingly, the sufficiency of such substances remains restricted. In addition, a long term application of such substances results in a steady overloading of the kidneys with uric acid which in fact is a considerable danger for the kidneys.